THE PINNATED GROUSE. 41 
cess of each gun, the promptest bookmaker and most 
confident person being the sanguine young lady who was 
to act as my cicerone. 
When breakfast was finished we entered the vehicles 
waiting for us at the door, and on taking our seats the 
dogs jumped to their places at our feet. We drove about 
five miles from the house, and on reaching a rolling 
stretch of prairie, which was one mass of grass, grain, 
and flowers as far as the eye could see, we set the dogs to 
work, to see if we had chosen a good locality for a com- 
mencement. As soonas they had stretched their legs and 
yawned once or twice, they began ranging, but they had 
not gone twenty yards away before one of the setters 
came to a point, and he had no sooner done so than the 
other three dogs backed him in the most beautiful man- 
ner. Their attitude was so statuesque and full of mo- 
bile gracefulness, that we stood looking at them for some 
seconds in admiration, for they presented as charming a 
canine picture as it was possible to conceive. It was 
only when the General asked who was to have the first 
shot, that we were recalled to the more practical work of 
the day. The query was answered by his fair daughter 
stating that, as the first bird brought luck, we should 
draw lots for the privilege of grassing it. This ceremony 
was very brief, as it consisted merely in giving the fin- 
gers the name of each person present—the names being 
known to two, to avoid any favoritism—and then having 
a third person touch one of the fingers and say, ‘‘ This 
shoots.” Iwas fortunate enough to be the party selected 
for opening the ball, and, marching up to the dogs, 
which held to their point as rigidly as if they were made 
of cast-iron, 1 flushed the bird, and brought it down 
within ten paces of the muzzle of the gun. 
‘First feather for us!” shouted a feminine voice be- 
hind me; ‘“‘ we are sure to beat you now.” 
I advanced to pick up the slain, but had not taken 
